Improvement in soldiers  accoutersviemts



Z Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. METCALFE SOLDIERS ACCOUTREMENTS.

Patentefl.-March14,1 876.

N. PET RS, FWTIGLITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D c.

Z S heets-Sheet 2. H. METCA'LFE SOLDIERSACCOUTREMENTS. No. 17 L696. Patented March 14, 1876;

HENRY METGALFE, OF UNITED STATES ARMY, SPRINGFIELD, MASS.

IMPRQVEMENT IN SOLDIERS ACCOUTERME-NTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 174,696, dated March 14, 1876; application filed December 16, 1874.

To all whom it may concern 1 Be it known that I, HENRY METGALFE, of the United States Army, residing in Springfield, Massachusetts,- have invented a new and useful Improvement in Soldiers Accouterments; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in Which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the accouterments made according to my invention, and arranged to be adjusted in place. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the cartridge-block carrier as attached to the belt. Fig. 3 is a front view of the carrier when worn at the side. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of my accouterments as worn by the soldier. Fig. 5 is a side view of the cartridge'block as arranged to be carried in the carrier. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same.

My invention relates tothe accouterments worn by a soldier when equipped for service, namely, the belt with its cartridge-carrier, cartridge block, the knapsack, and the shoulder-pieces, and straps to support the same; and my invention consists of a clasp or carrier arranged to clasp the belt either partially or entirely, and to slide thereon, and made elastic to grasp the cartridgeblock, and provided with a projection or flange to prevent the block containing the cartridges from being accidentally detached from the carrier; and it consists also of a yoke arranged to be worn upon the shoulders of the soldier in connection with the shoulder-pieces, straps, and

belt, to relieve and equalize the weight of thepartially or entirely clasp the belt, and to slide to and fro thereon. The part 0, which is bent upward, is provided with a flan'geor projection, to, which extends inward over the block, when the latter is withhnthe carrier, sufficiently to prevent the block from becoming accidentally detached from the carrier, and the part 0 is also provided with a button, c, which serves as a thumb-piece, by

which to press the part 0 outward in removing an empty block, and also as a button to secure the strap E over the block, to more surely secure the block within the carrier. The block A (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and also in Fig. 6) may have a vertical shallow mortise made down one side to receive one side of the carrier, or the block may have other equivalent guides to prevent it from being moved'out of its proper position in the carrier; and the block A has a slit, 0, made in the top, extending along its length, which slit may be most conveniently made by a saw. This slit divides the chambers for the cartridges, and prevents the wood from binding the cartridges too tightly, when the block becomes swollen from wet or exposure to dampness, and the wood each side of the slit forms a spring to clasp the cartridges, so that they may be withdrawn from their chambers quite easily, whether the block be wet or dry. \Vithout this slit, if the block should become wet it would swell to such a degree that the cartridges could not be withdrawn. With it, if it is difficult to withdraw the cartridges, by pressing them into their chambers with a little force a slight crack may be made in the block, starting at the slit, and the cartridges will then be released. from the wood quite easily. pieces t, one for each shoulder, which are arranged at the rear ends to be attached to the knapsack by any suitable means of attachment, and are provided at the forward ends with a ring-hook, s, and the straps o are attached to the belt A, or to its fastening in front, and extend up to and through the rings 8, thence down under the arms, and are attached, at their rear end to the lower part of the knapsack. By this arrangement the weight of the knapsack is brought to bear more directly downward upon the shoulders, as much of its weight is supported at the In Fig. 1 are represented shoulder-.

rings s, and the straps 0, passing through said rings, adjust themselves to the difl'erent movements of the body; and the weight of the eartridges on the belt and the friction of the latter upon the clothing both tend to counterbalance the weight of the knapsack, thereby obviating the backward dragging effect of the knapsack; and to more fully distribute the weight of the knapsack upon the shoul-.

ders I use the yoke I, which may be made of papier-mach, jacked leather, or other suitable material, and may be fitted to the shout. ders of the person, although pads under the shoulder-pieces maybe used to good advantage. By this arrangement of accouterments the following advantages accrue over those now in. common use: first, the weight of the knapsack is more evenly balanced upon the shoulders instead of dragging the arms and shoulders backward, and the soldier is thereby enabled to walk more upright, and consequently more easily and naturally; and, sec ond, the bulky character of the cartridge-box ordinarily used, which is always a cause of more or less constraint and hinderance in the movements of the soldier, is entirely dispensed with, while the same or even a greater number of cartridges may be carried with more case and less feeling of incumbrance than can be done in the ordinary box; and after the cartridges have all been used, and the empty blocks thrown away, there is no weight to carry, and the soldier is more free and ready for rapid marching. V

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the particular form of yoke shown in the drawing, as that form is'made all in one piece, and is fitted to the back and shoulders of the person. It may be made in the form of two pads, one for each shoulder, made of jacked leather, to give and keep it of the desired form, and both pads may be connected by a strap and buckle across theback, behind the shoulders, and it will then fit men of different sizes. The straps 0, instead of being fastened to the belt A in front, might be fastened to a ring at the top of each loop F and F.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is i 1. The combination of the straps 0, rings 8, belt A, shoulder-pieces t, and the knapsack Gr, all arranged substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. A carrier, A, arranged upon the belt A, to clasp and hold a cartridge-block, and provided with a flange or projection, a, to prevent the block from becoming detached from the carrier, substantially as described.

3. A cartridge-block provided with holes or chambers to receive the cartridges, and a slit, v

0, extending along the top of the block, and across the chambers, substantially as and for the purpose described.

HENRY METOALFE. Witnesses:

SAML. W. PORTER, J. H. HASTINGS. 

